


The Love You Give

by MadeIyn



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Child Neglect, Fluff, Happy Ending, Inspired by Sanders Sides, Kidnapping, M/M, Neglect, Soulmates, Stalking, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-05-30 16:46:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15100925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadeIyn/pseuds/MadeIyn
Summary: Soulmate/Human AU where Virgil and Logan run a bakery together which Roman frequently visits. Patton is the new guy in town, looking for a new beginning. How will events unfold?





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan and Virgil have an unconventional meeting, to say the least

Logan’s eyes scanned the pages in front of him adeptly, processing each word with ease and precision. The brick wall dug into his back slightly, and he could hear his classmates running around on the playground. They shrieked and laughed, and he quietly sat and read. It wasn’t that he didn’t get invited to play. In fact, Sarah Jean had just come to ask if he wanted to come play Cops and Robbers with her friends and she. However, Logan found his book to be a more suitable companion, and politely declined. Logan was ten, nearly eleven, but he was reading at a tenth grade reading level. He was fascinated with what Steinback was going to do with George and Lenny in Of Mice and Men. He was nearing the end, and although he was enjoying the novel, he was thrilled to move on to his next book, The Great Gatsby.

 

Suddenly, multiple sets of heavy footsteps fell just around the corner. Logan pulled his legs in tighter and readjusted his glasses, assuming that a few kids were on their way to the soccer field behind the school. He didn’t want them to trip over his legs. Surprisingly, the feet stopped just in front of him. As soon as Logan saw the yellow and green sneakers in front of him, he knew he was in trouble. 

 

“S-s-sup S-sp-specs?” Darcie hissed, laughing harshly at her own joke. Logan furrowed his brows as he lifted his head to meet her gaze. She glared down at him through her pink Ray-Bans prescription glasses. Her blonde hair was poofing up in the late spring heat, and her baby hairs seemed to curl into perfect devil’s horns. Logan gently marked his book and set it aside, seeing that this would not be a quick encounter. 

 

“Hello Darcie. T-to what do I o-o-owe this p-pl-pleasure?” Logan said cordially, trying to diffuse the situation. Tiffany, Blake, and Ethan stood in a small huddle with Darcie, all giving him imposing looks. They all grew vicious grins as soon as he began to speak. His hands trembled and he pressed them into his thighs to hide it. 

 

“It’s rude to not speak clearly to a lady, Calculator. Try again, and this time, do it correctly.” Blake glared down at him over chubby cheekbones. He crossed his thick arms across his chest in an attempt to look more intimidating. Logan sighed, willing the tears welling up in his eyes to go away. 

“Hello D-Darcie, t-to wh-what do I o-owe this ple-pleasure?” Logan repeated, his stutter only getting worse from his nerves. Blake took two long strides towards him and grabbed him by the back of his collar. He hoisted him up to his feet and yanked him towards his body.

 

“Specs, I expect better from you. You would think that a kid so smart could at least learn to speak English properly! Maybe the teachers were wrong about you.” Blake crooned in Logan’s ear before shoving him back to the ground. Logan’s elbows and rear took the brunt of the impact, both singing with pain. 

 

“You should stop what you’re doing. It isn’t right.” A small voice spoke, making its presence known. Logan was still trying to orient himself with the ground he sat on again, when he heard the kid speak. His head snapped in the direction of the voice. Virgil Simone stood just next to the corner of the building, his purple faux-hawk making him look more intimidating in the shade of the school. A shiver ran down Logan’s back as he watched Virgil walk over to the group slowly.

 

“Yeah, Emo Nightmare? And what will you do about it?” Ethan hissed, tossing his long dark hair over his shoulder. Logan’s vision fixated on the piece that clung to his perspiring collar bone. The group advanced towards Virgil, but he made no move to stand down. If anything, he was still trying to inch himself between Logan and the goons. 

 

“Well if you hurt my friend again, I would have to make things even.” Virgil hissed, finally reaching the point that he was nearly entirely between Logan and his attackers. Tiffany grinned wickedly as she lunged forward and stomped on Logan’s hand, surprising everyone. Blake and Darcie burst into laughter, while Ethan moved forward to grab Virgil. Virgil easily maneuvered out of his grip, twisting his arm and tossing him onto the ground. Ethan’s arm scraped painfully against the cement as Virgil turned to address his next attacker. Ethan may be thinner than Blake, but Blake definitely moved faster. He struck Virgil across the face with a closed fist. Virgil retaliated quickly, hitting him back. Apparently Blake could not take what he dished, as his eyes immediately welled up with tears. 

 

Tiffany moved to attack next, trying to grab him and scratch his skin with her long nails. Virgil was frustrated and still a little dizzy from Blake’s blow, and was easily knocked off balance. He landed close to Logan, which Logan would soon learn to loath. It was as if the encounter were happening in slow motion. Tiffany’s hot pink sneaker struck Virgil in the stomach three times, as hard as her tiny leg would allow, before a teacher reached them and yanked her from the scene.

 

“What is the meaning of this?!” Mrs. Shaard cried, taking in various states of injury on the children. Virgil was obviously worse for wear after Tiffany’s final attack, but it was obvious she didn’t do all of the damage alone. She glared at each of the children individually, finishing on Virgil who couldn’t seem to claim any of the air entering his lungs. Logan, who had been studying panic disorders last month, sprang into action. He felt this wasn’t a panic attack, but he assumed that a good breathing exercise never hurt anyone. Mrs. Shaard was still lecturing the four children behind her, and Logan assumed that she would turn her rage unto them once Virgil was in better control of himself. Logan gently guided Virgil so that he was sitting up against the wall before taking Virgil’s hand in his and placing Virgil’s fingertips against his chest.

 

“A-All right Virgil, you will f-f-feel a lot better if you try to b-br-reathe with me here. T-take a deep breathe in for a f-four count.” Logan began demonstrating, and Virgil attempted to follow suit. Virgil got to three before he was cut off by a cough and all the air rushed from his lungs again. “That’s o-okay Virgil, let’s t-tr-try again. Th-there we go! Now hold it for a s-s-seven count. I know, it seems l-long, but we can do it! Perfect Virgil, now e-exhale for an eight count. Excellent job, Virgil. Please, r-r-repeat that as many times as you n-n-need.” Logan brushed his thumb gently on Virgil’s wrist in a soothing manner. Virgil’s eyes finally opened and he looked Logan dead in the eyes.

 

“Thank you, Logan.” 

 

Mrs. Shaard marched them all down to the principal’s office only to find that Principal Werther had been observing the footage from the cameras outside the school during the encounter. He sat the four friends down in front of his desk, before looking up to catch the two boys eyes.

 

“Virgil, Logan, why don’t you two go to the nurse so that she can check V over a little more carefully? I have watched the film and neither of you were at fault.” Logan nodded and grabbed Virgil by the elbow, carefully leading him from the office. They made their way to the nurse where Logan got his scraped elbows bandaged and Virgil received a multitude of icepacks. 

 

The boys parents were called, and they were both allowed to go home early. That evening, after dinner, Logan traipsed down the hallway to the bathroom so he could shower. He pulled his shirt over his head and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. A disgruntled shriek left his lips before he turned to face the mirror straight on. There, on the center of his chest, were five small, dark purple dots. They could be mistaken for bruises, but Logan knew exactly what they were. He had met his soulmate, and he knew just the person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter, I'm really excited to get the next one out for you guys because I know this one is pretty short. It's just a prologue, I promise chapters will get longer when we get into the flesh of the fic. The next chapter will be kinda small as well because I need to do just a bit more exposition before the real story begins. Thanks for your patience!
> 
> This story will update on Fridays, and the next chapter will be out on July 6th, 2018.
> 
> *** I am looking for a beta on this fic if anyone is interested! feel free to message me on tumblr at hedgehoghumor.tumblr.com Thanks again!


	2. Prologue (cont)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil and Logan celebrate Logan's sixteenth birthday with a homemade birthday cake and fluffy kisses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I know I said this would be posted on Friday but it's so little and I would feel terrible making a "real chapter" barely 1k words, so here is the tail end of the prologue. The next chapter WILL be uploaded on Friday still, but it will be current time and the story will actually begin there.

“Virgil! That is an exceptional amount more sugar than the recipe called for!” Logan cried, concerned for the sake of their cake. Virgil hardly spared him a glance, stirring the ingredients together before tasting the batter with a spoon. He had been acting this way all evening, stirring in things as he pleased with no regard for the book which laid abandoned on the countertop. He found it incredibly amusing watching as Logan grew more distraught at the thought of his “ruined” cake. Virgil contemplated his next choice carefully, and Logan glared at him when a smirk appeared on his lips. Virgil slowly crept across the kitchen to where the soda bottles were kept. “No, Virgil. You cannot be serious.” Virgil grabbed the bottle of sprite and quickly splashed a small amount in before Logan could round the island and confiscate the bottle.

“I promise it will be okay. Just trust me, Lo.” Virgil snickered at the gobsmacked look on Logan’s face. He was obviously trying to process the benefits of including Sprite in their cake. Logan finally just rolled his eyes and collapsed into a barstool. He began straightening his polo carefully, meticulously adjusting the collar and buttons.

“Do as you wish, Virgil.”

Virgil mimicked Logan’s eye roll before mixing his batter and giving it one final taste. He decided they were fit to finally go in the oven. “Logan, be a dear and hold the pan for me?” Virgil requested, grabbing a spoon and preparing to scoop the batter into the pan. Logan half-heartedly took the pan from his boyfriend and holds it in place. They quickly transferred the batter into the pan and Logan promptly pushed it into the oven. He set the timer as Virgil migrated to the sink to wash his hands. Logan approached Virgil, carefully winding his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. 

“Hello,” Virgil hummed, turning to press his lips against the taller boy’s neck. Logan’s grip tightened momentarily before loosening enough for Virgil to turn around. Virgil brought a hand up to Logan’s collar, pulling him down for a soft, chaste kiss. Logan’s cheeks flushed and he moved his hands to his boyfriend’s hips. 

“We should study.” Logan laughed as they finally pulled away. Virgil smiled and took his soulmate’s hand, pulling him into the living room. Photos of young Virgil were scattered around the room, and at a certain point in the timeline, Logan began appearing in them too. The books laid out on the coffee table were waiting for them, ready to fill them with knowledge. Logan scampered over to the couch excitedly while Virgil let out a begrudging moan. Virgil flops down next to Logan, letting their thighs brush as they got comfortable for a long wait. Logan reached for their English flashcards first, knowing that Virgil would have high success in them and they could get them out of the way. Logan also liked to build Virgil’s confidence when in these situations, so that he wouldn’t get down on himself when he didn’t know an answer. 

They progressed through subject after subject, only pausing to remove the cake when Virgil deemed fit (two minutes early compared to the recipe, mainly to irritate Logan). Their study intermission was prolonged by Virgil’s insistence that it wasn’t a real birthday cake unless it was decorated. Virgil and Logan dedicated an hour to icing and decorating this plain little sheet cake. Much more icing ended up on their faces and clothes than the cake, but that truly just added to the fun. An unending cycle developed. Virgil would “accidentally” dot a bit of icing on Logan, and then be “required” to kiss it away. “It’s baking law.” Virgil had stated seriously, before bursting into a fit of giggles. In the end, The cake read, “Happy 16th Birthday Logan!” and had a crudely drawn car underneath it. It was not particularly beautiful or original. However, Virgil felt a warm fizz beginning in the pit of his belly whenever he looked at it. When he gazed into Logan’s eyes, he knew his boyfriend felt the same.Their collaborative efforts had come together and formed something so unique and just for them.

Logan was shocked to find that Virgil’s concoction of a cake was not just satisfying emotionally, but also in taste. It was the perfect amount moist, and had a good amount of chocolate without being overbearing. The raspberry flavored icing Virgil had prepped the night before added a tang to the cake which truly rounded the delicious dessert out. Virgil was incredibly smug due to his boyfriend’s reaction.

“Virgil, this cake tastes exquisite!” Logan cried, quickly scooping another bite onto his fork. Virgil let out his signature snort before leaning forward to kiss Logan sweetly. He could taste the raspberry on his boyfriend’s lips, and it only pushed him to deepen the kiss. Logan quickly hoisted his boyfriend up onto the countertop and stepped between his legs, leaving little space between them. Virgil’s hands found the back of Logan’s head and twirled his hair gently as their lips locked. Finally, Logan pulled away.

A wry smile found his lips as he whispered, “Despite your incredible performance in this kitchen tonight, I will never forget the time you obliterated that macaroni and cheese.” Virgil let out an indignant squeak and shoved his boyfriend away. So, maybe Virgil wasn’t the best at cooking. What he lacked in cooking, he made up for in his baking technique.

“Whatever, you suck.” Virgil laughed, shoving his soulmate away and hopping off the counter. Logan reached out and grabbed his wrist, pulling him back into a tight hug.

“I love you too, Virgil.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, feel free to leave a comment! by the way, I know adding sprite to the cake seems weird, but my family does it! Its a real thing I swear  
> The next chapter will *actually* be uploaded on June 6th 2018.  
> See you soon!


	3. The Most Beautiful Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman desperately needs some breakfast before he goes to rehearsal.

Roman was power walking. His rehearsal started in 20 minutes and was a 15 minute walk away. This typically would not be a problem, but he desperately wanted to stop at his favorite bakery and get a scone and some coffee on the way there. His stomach panged again in hunger and his pace somehow managed to increase. He finally saw the familiar purple and blue sign hanging above the doorway when he rounded the corner. He ducked inside and breathed a sigh of relief, removing himself from the brisk September air.

The place used to be an ice cream shop that his moms took him to when he was a child. Momma would get vanilla and Mom would get strawberry. Roman always picked a new interesting flavor, like Moose Tracks or Superman. His older brother Sebastian always chose chocolate fudge, and his other brother Levi picked orange creamsicles or sorbet. However, the former owner passed away and her family couldn’t afford to keep the shop open anymore. Roman’s momma almost bought the building herself, but someone else closed on it first. Roman’s family was disappointed, but the new owner turned it into an adorable bakery with amazing treats, so their complaints did not last long. 

Roman sighed in frustration as he took note of the line in front of him. At least twelve other people were waiting, and they typically only staffed one worker for the counter. That day, it was Shannon who frantically punched numbers into the cash register and raced to bag treats for the customers. Roman liked Shannon because she managed to keep a bright smile on her face, no matter the situation. Plus, it was fun to watch her curly red ponytail bounce around while she spoke. She paused her work for just a moment to peek into the kitchen briefly before returning to the counter.

The door to the kitchen swung open, startling all of the guests. Apparently everyone else had also assumed that Shannon was working on her own. Roman had to contain himself from letting out a noise of disbelief. The most beautiful man he had ever seen was stood next to Shannon, speaking to her quietly. Icing was smeared on his cheek in an endearing way. His glasses were sliding down his nose adorably, and his hair was weighed down by a small amount of sugar caught in his bangs. The apron he wore was also coated in different ingredients, almost as if he were at war with the food. 

“I can help anyone who is paying in exact change over here.” The man spoke precisely, as if he were paying extra attention to how his lips were meant to form the words. Roman allowed a small line to form before joining it himself. He had intended to use his card, but he refused to miss an opportunity to speak to someone so beautiful. Roman pulled his wallet from his pocket, sliding the card back into place before digging around for his bills. Looking up at the sign, he found that his total cost would be $4.34. He located four crumpled dollar bills and three dimes which had a questionable substance coating them. There were two pennies stuck together in the corner of his wallet, one exceedingly shinier than the other. Roman was short two coins. He needed two more pennies to be able to check out with this man. 

Roman was searching his pockets frantically now, sure that he had to have a couple pennies somewhere. His jeans came up empty, and he sighed in frustration. There was one person left in front of him now, and he was still short on change. He put his hand into his jacket pocket and his fingers grazed something round, flat, and cold. He gripped it tightly in his fist before pulling it from his pocket. A quarter. He could spare a penny. He slipped two dimes along with his two pennies back into his wallet, choosing the least sticky of the three dimes to hand to the worker. 

“Hello, what can I get for you?” He spoke in that same meticulous pattern, his words almost like a metronome. Roman flashed him a sweet grin before relaying his order to the man, Logan, according to his nametag. Roman’s eyes dropped from the nametag to his hands. His long fingers maneuvered the tongs to carefully pull the scone Roman chose from the glass case. He slipped it into a bag before pouring a cup of coffee with sure hands. He placed them on the counter before raising a hand to receive Roman’s money. 

“Thank you!” Roman grinned, ever the charmer. He placed the money in Logan’s hand, his fingertips accidentally grazing the inside of his palm as he pulled away. A spark jumped along his fingers, but not like being shocked. This was warmer, more intimate. He looked down at his hand to find dark blue spots on the tips of his thumb, forefinger and middle finger. Roman immediately began grinning at Logan, who was looking at his palm with a small smile spreading across his lips. Suddenly, the smile dropped. He yanked the collar of his shirt away from his body as if he had been burned, looking down at his bare chest for a moment before the grin reappeared.

“May I invite you back to our office? Our guests require service, but I would love to conversate with you after.” Logan was grinning as he spoke, gesturing back behind the counter. Roman nodded in excitement as Logan moved to allow Roman into the “WORKERS ONLY” zone. Roman stepped through quickly and followed the direction Logan pointed him in. He found himself waiting in a small but well-decorated office. Roman took the time to admire the photos he had around the room, noticing an edgy but somehow still cute man in a lot of them. Roman began to realize that this must be another soulmate, based on the smiles on their faces and the dark blue splotch on the boy’s shoulder. It was the exact same shade as the strokes on Roman’s fingers. There was a very sweet photo of the two boys kissing, and Roman hesitated for a moment before picking it up. 

Multiple soulmates were not uncommon in their society, and neither was polygamy. However, Roman truly hoped that everything goes well with this other soulmate. It was just as common for a soulmate to freak out as it was for them to be accepting. Roman was hoping for the later. Maybe he and this other soulmate could be friends. Or perhaps he and Logan weren’t meant to fall in love, that was fine too. Roman was excited either way, he had finally found the one made for him. 

The door swung open after a few more minutes of waiting, and Logan strode in confidenly. Roman’s hand fluttered nervously as he realized he was still holding the photo of the two soulmates. “I see you’ve found my Virgil.” Logan said with a certain level of fondness in his voice. “We are also soulmates, he and I. My panic at our revelation was because I was concerned that my first soulmark would disappear, as some do.” Roman had heard of that too. Sometimes people were only meant to be together for a certain amount of time, and then they received a new soulmate. That didn’t mean you had to leave the old one behind entirely, it just meant that it was time to move on. It was relatively uncommon, but it did happen occasionally. 

“Yours is the only soulmark I have.” Roman stated, “However, I welcome your Virgil with open arms. You two seem very much in love.” He gave Logan his most honest smile, and Logan grinned in return. “May I hug you? I am incredibly excited, to say the least.” Roman continued, laughing heartily. Logan nodded and that was all it took for Roman to take a large stride toward him with open arms. They hugged each other tightly, Roman’s head tucked in the crook of Logan’s neck and vice versa. “I’m just so glad to meet you.”

Logan explained that Virgil had already gone home for the day, seeing as his baking was finished and Tuesdays weren’t busy typically. They took the time to get to know each other. Roman noticed that along with Logan’s speech pattern, his movements were also very defined and precise. It would be terribly intimidating in any other situation. However, Roman found it just as endearing as his habit of adjusting his glasses to let himself think. Logan obviously had the intent to be taken very serious.They spoke for another hour or so before Roman realized he was meant to be elsewhere. They hugged goodbye and set a date for Roman to come back to Logan’s home.

Needless to say, Roman was very late to rehearsal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, hope you've enjoyed! I really want to get ahead on this writing schedule and see if I can up my posting to 2x per week. We will see how that goes! For now, I plan on Chapter Four releasing on the 13th. However, a family member is having surgery that day, so I may have to release it Sunday. I appreciate your patience and consideration! 
> 
> The next chapter will be posted on July 13th, 2018


	4. And Then, There Were Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman comes over for game night with Logan and Virgil- things go nowhere near according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late, but the good news is that it is my longest published chapter so far! 2.6k words doesn't seem like much but I am proud of her.

Virgil’s anxiety was at a simmer in the background- not quite ready to burst, but far from calm and cool. When Logan came home from his shift, he explained that he had met his other soulmate to Virgil. Originally, this had been fine. People had multiple soulmates all of the time. But as Logan continued speaking, it became obvious that he was interested in this “Roman” guy romantically. Logan kept describing him as “intriguing,” and “radiant,” words he had only used to describe Virgil before. Virgil kept his voice steady when he asked his boyfriend if he was interested in pursuing a polygamous relationship with this other man. Logan had seemed hesitant, which only served to deepen the wound. Logan wanted to choose between the two men. To make matters worse, Roman had been invited to their apartment tonight for game night. 

Logan was obviously a little stressed about it, shown through his meticulous cleaning and scrutiny of their design. He had even bought new throw pillows for the occasion. He felt that the space ones that he and Virgil had chosen were “juvenile.” Virgil had to admit, that one stung a bit. So they waited for Roman to arrive, resting on the new navy blue pillows. Logan’s head was in Virgil’s lap, allowing Virgil to play with his hair nervously. Logan was pretending to read his latest novel. In reality, his eyes flitted around the apartment in search of mess. Virgil noticed, but did not say anything.

The doorbell rang after what felt to be eons of endless silence. Virgil flinched, Logan jumped to his feet to get the door. Virgil knew he should go answer the door with his boyfriend, but he stayed planted where he was. He was hoping if he didn’t move, this whole situation could be avoided. Things would go back to the way they were and he wouldn’t lose the love of his life to some stranger. 

Logan returned with a dashing man behind him, and Virgil was both happy and hurting. He was so glad that Logan would be able to love someone so attractive, but he was hurt that it wouldn’t be him anymore. Roman was just as tall as Logan, so when Virgil stood to greet him, he felt slightly dwarfed. Roman held out a hand for a handshake when Logan introduced them, but Virgil awkwardly stared at it until he let it drop. Virgil wasn’t trying to be rude, he just didn’t know this person yet. He typically avoided contact with people, as it made his anxiety worse.

“It’s nothing personal.”

“That’s quite all right, my friend!” Roman reassured quickly, but Virgil could tell that he was confused and possibly a little offended. Virgil let his eyes drop and his hair hang in his eyes. He was already messing things up with this new person. Logan guided them back to the sitting room, sitting next to Virgil on the loveseat and giving Roman the comfy armchair. This reassured Virgil slightly. At least Logan still wanted to be by him. Deciding to be a good host, Virgil offered to go get them any drinks or food they may need before they begin their first game. 

“Ah, yes. Have you eaten dinner, Roman? We would offer to cook for you, but Virgil’s skills in the kitchen halt at baking. Mine are minimal at best, generally.” Logan tagged onto Virgil’s question. Roman laughed heartily before stating that he already had dinner. He requested a water before launching into a story about how he prepared himself the most wonderful meal. Virgil’s ears burned slightly as he made his way into the kitchen to fetch their drinks. 

“.. my grandmother’s recipe! It’s simply exquisite, I must make it for you sometime!” Virgil’s grip on the tea pitcher tightened. Of course Roman was a good cook. He was affluent in all ways that Virgil lacked. He was in touch with his emotions, devilishly handsome, and, to top it off, an excellent cook. Tears welled up in Virgil’s eyes as he pictured Logan’s new happy life with his lover, Roman, and his ex-boyfriend/new best friend Virgil. Logan could be Roman’s manager for all of his theater auditions, and Roman could cook them healthy meals which didn’t set off smoke detectors. He shook his head as he placed their drinks onto the tray, hoping to clear his thoughts. The worry would do him no good and he knew it.

When Virgil returned, Logan was explaining the rules to the first game that he and Virgil had created together. It was very complex, as they had mixed four board games together into one. Roman was listening intently and intermittently asking questions to ensure he fully understood the game. Logan looked fully enamoured with his new soulmate.Virgil came back to his seat next to his boyfriend, sitting down gently in an attempt to draw minimal attention. He carefully placed the tray alongside the gameboard and tried to avoid bumping game pieces or cards. Once he successfully placed the tray down and settled in, Logan took his hand gently in his own. Their fingers intertwined, and Virgil nearly forgot his worries. As the night progressed, Virgil became increasingly interested in Roman as well. He loved and hated the idea. He was happy that Logan’s soulmate was so excitable and passionate, but it hurt him that this man was everything that he was not. His confidence was radiant, as was his grin every time he got to advance his piece a substantial amount. Virgil had just about had enough, his heart was breaking. He needed a moment to compose himself or cry, possibly both. 

“I need to use the restroom.” Virgil announced, standing up abruptly. He had forgotten that his hand still was laced with Logan’s. Their hands dangled limply in the air for a moment before Logan processed his words, squeezed his hand, and then let go. Virgil could feel the tears welling in his eyes and knew he needed out. He quickly shuffled his way around the coffee table and accidentally bumped Roman’s hand mid-gesture with his own on the way out. Virgil mumbled an apology quickly. Roman shocked Virgil when they bumped but didn’t apologize. It was slightly out of character for the boisterous but typically respectful man, but perhaps he just didn’t notice. Virgil was almost into the hallway when a hand clamped around his wrist. As he realized the hand wasn’t Logan’s, his heart rate accelerated. He tried to pull away but Roman held tightly.

“Virgil, please..” Roman murmured softly with something in his voice that Virgil couldn’t place. Virgil turned slowly, looking down at his sock-covered toes rather than meeting Roman’s eyes. His breathing was beginning to shallow. “Virgil, look at the back of your hand.” Virgil furrowed his brows in confusion but did as he was told. A red splotch was suddenly spread across his thumb and partially onto the back of his hand. Virgil’s heart swooped from his chest down to his stomach.

He and Roman were soulmates. This should have been excellent news, but all Virgil could feel was empty. Logan didn’t want a polygamous relationship. Logan would still want to choose between them. The tears in Virgil’s eyes finally spilled down his cheeks. Roman gasped quietly, letting go of Virgil’s wrist and taking a step back. Logan stood, sensing his boyfriend needed his presence. Logan obviously had many questions for Virgil, but he withheld them. He simply reached out to take Virgil’s hand and guide them back to the sofa. Roman followed from a safe distance, concern etched into his expression. Despite his fear that Logan would leave him, Virgil still clung to the man’s hand. Virgil was holding his lip tightly between his teeth, willing the tears away so he could explain himself. Both of his soulmates watched him patiently, waiting for him to tell them what was wrong.

Finally, when he felt he had the words, Virgil opened his mouth to speak in broken, choppy phrases. “Logan, when I asked if you would be comfortable pursuing a polyamorous relationship, you seemed uncomfortable. I just don’t want to lose what you and I have, or- or hold you back from pursuing someone you were meant to fall in love with.” Virgil rushed his words out by the end, just wanting it all to be out in the open. He expected Roman and Logan to be annoyed by his selfish behavior, but they were nothing of the sort. Roman was a bit misty eyed, and Logan was looking at him intensely. 

“Virgil, I would be uncomfortable pursuing two romantic relationships separately, that is why I shied away from your question. That kind of polyamory, although it is perfectly valid, does not emulate a form of balance I want to maintain in my relationships. Aside from that- Virgil, our relationship is not something I take so lightly as to break off because I found another soulmate. There would have been no choosing, I love you. You make me feel things that I can’t begin to describe. Roman and I could just as easily stay platonic. However, and only if you two would be fully comfortable, I would be content with a polyamorous relationship among us three where we all partake and are a unit.” Logan never broke eye contact with Virgil, not even to look over to Roman. Although he was an important part of this moment, Logan was primarily trying to reassure and comfort Virgil. He couldn’t hide the spark of hope in his eyes that his soulmates would agree to his idea though. Lucky for him, neither man was on a different page. Virgil finally broke their eye contact to see Roman staring at them with abundant affection. Virgil let a watery smile grace his lips as he spoke.

“I’m in if you are, Princey.” Roman laughed, carefully moving around the coffee table to perch on the arm of the couch closer to Virgil. He looked a little overwhelmed, his eyes red-rimmed and welling with tears of their own. He simply nodded. Virgil deliberated momentarily before extending an arm for a hug, if Roman chose to accept it. The seconds ticking by were emotionally charged before Roman practically collapsed into Virgil’s side. He wound his arms tightly around Virgil’s waist, and the moment felt right. Logan squeezed Virgil’s hand tightly and Roman made no move to pull away from Virgil. Finally, after what felt like hours, they seperated. Eyes were finally dry and hearts were full. They kept looking back and forth at one another. 

“I propose a movie night and cuddling to celebrate.” Logan declared, rising from the sofa and looking down at his two boyfriends. Virgil nodded, glancing at the clock to see it was only 8:15. Logan verified that nobody had anywhere to be the following day before putting The Martian on. They all crowd in on the little two seat sofa, Roman in the middle, holding Virgil’s hand tightly. As the movie progressed, Roman began to lean on Logan’s shoulder. Eventually, Logan lifted his arm and let Roman tuck himself against his chest. When Logan’s arm settled across Roman’s shoulders, his hand landed in Virgil’s hair. When The Martian finished, Roman was sleepily resting against Logan’s chest, not fully awake or asleep.

He obviously expected Logan and Virgil to suggest they wrap up the evening, but Virgil simply leaned forward to grab the remote off of the coffee table and select the next movie, Aladdin. Roman settled further into Logan’s chest with a soft smile on his lips. Virgil nearly melted. His heart stuttered when Logan looked down at Roman and gripped his chin, asking quietly if he could kiss him. Roman nodded, biting back a grin. Virgil observed as the two sweetly kissed, reveling in the way they all seemed to fit together so perfectly. As the kiss continued, Virgil gently traced his fingers along Roman’s arm. Despite not being actively involved in their kiss, he was still enjoying their company, and that was enough. Eventually, the two separated. Roman turned to Virgil, giving him an inquisitive look.

“Dearest, may I kiss you?” Roman asked so softly, and Virgil knew that he could say yes. He wouldn’t regret it later, it wouldn’t cause him pain to kiss his new boyfriend so quickly. Nevertheless, he hesitated. Virgil liked slow romance. He and Logan didn’t have their (terrible but also perfect) first kiss until their fourth date. Virgil preferred to take his time and let the anticipation build. He would never admit it aloud, but he felt the anticipation helped to cover any disappointments that his significant other might experience. They would be so distracted by their excitement that they won’t notice any slip-ups or lackluster performance on his part. Although he used the slow pace to his advantage, he still enjoyed the anticipation of a slow build in his romantic life. Virgil was unsure how to get out of this situation, knowing his boyfriends would be disappointed by half of his motives. Roman noticed his hesitation and smiled sweetly. “We will only take steps when we both feel ready, my dark and stormy knight. I don’t mind waiting for you.” Virgil exhaled a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He offered Roman a weak smile, squeezing his hand softly. Roman nodded in reassurance before continuing on a different train of thought. 

“So how did you not notice the spark when we touched? I found it to be rather distinguished.” Roman asked, turning his body to face Virgil entirely. Virgil arched his brow in confusion. Roman realized he had no clue what he was talking about. “The spark when you touch a soulmate! You and I had one, and I assume you and Logan did as well. Logan and I experienced it.” He elaborated, becoming more animated as he explained.

“I just thought you shocked me. Logan and I first touched when I was in the midst of a panic attack, so if we had one, it wasn’t either of our focus.” Virgil made eye contact with Logan who shrugged. Roman’s brows shot towards his hairline when Virgil mentioned a panic attack. 

“You met through a panic attack? Oh my, do tell the story if you feel comfortable!” So Logan and Virgil spent the evening explaining their elementary school friendship which budded into a high school romance. Roman listened intently, fully invested in hearing his soulmates’ love story. They talked over each other excitedly and poked fun at each other at the right moments. This lead to the three of them swapping stories from their childhoods for quite some time. Eventually, the evening wore down. Around one in the morning, Logan had fallen asleep against Virgil’s chest. Roman’s head was resting in Logan’s lap and he was toying with the sleeping man’s hands. Virgil was sleepily carding his fingers through Logan’s hair.

“I should probably head home.” Roman whispered. He began adjusting to find a way to get out of Logan’s lap without waking him. Virgil shook his head and reached out to hold his shoulder.

“It’s way too late for you to be out. You could get hurt or taken. Please, Logan and I usually fall asleep on the couch anyways. Stay with us tonight?” Virgil pleaded, countless scenarios running through his head. Logan and Virgil didn’t live in the best area in the first place. Their apartment complex was safe enough, but the area had a different story. However, even if he and Logan lived in a white picket fence suburbia, Virgil is sure he wouldn’t let Roman go. They had found a missing piece, Roman couldn’t leave so quickly. Roman nodded, relaxing back into Logan’s lap and bringing his socked feet up onto the couch. Both men fell asleep to Logan’s soft snores and the hum of the television.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience and for reading! Again, I apologize that I had to post this a day late. My family member's surgery went well, and they are recovering now. Since I am responsible for taking care of them, I'm not sure that I can promise next week's chapter will be up on time either. Sorry, I feel really bad that I'm not getting this schedule worked out yet! For now, I still intend on publishing once per week. I want to finish this by the end of summer so that I can start something new in the fall. We will see how that goes. Kudos and Comments are much appreciated.
> 
> The next chapter will *hopefully* be published on Friday, July 20th 2018.


	5. Daddy Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2.1k - Roman and Virgil resolve a little tension in the cafe

Virgil and Logan had closed the shop half an hour ago. Now, The two sat around one of the dining tables with their boyfriend. Papers littered the tabletop and Virgil looked concerned. Roman had been walking them through some of his more simple family recipes to see if they could handle making them. Logan was considering them with detailed precision, while Virgil just looked slightly miserable. Roman carefully outlined each step for his soulmates, explaining how to complete each step with measured descriptions. He didn’t want to leave anything out because that would make it harder for the boys to test the recipes if he weren’t there.

“..And then you mix in the cheese really slowly, you don’t want to mix too quickly or it won’t set up properly.” Roman was growing frustrated with Virgil. He was putting a lot of time and effort into explaining these things, only to Virgil’s benefit! His love, however, just sat there, blankly staring at the table and fiddling with the placemat. Roman stopped talking, staring at Virgil with a deadpan expression. Virgil didn’t even notice, he just continued curling and uncurling the corner of the thin paper in front of him. Roman rolled his eyes and looked over to Logan, who watched both of them with confusion.

“Virgil, are you even listening to me?” Roman asked, sounding irritable despite his attempts to maintain patience. Virgil shrank back into his chair when addressed, pulling his arms off the table and crossing them around his body. Roman held his ground.  He didn’t mean to sound so cross, but he wasn’t going to apologize. He wanted to know where his boyfriend’s mind was. Virgil cleared his throat and sat up in his chair, placing his hands in his lap. He nodded slowly, still not meeting Roman’s eyes. Roman huffed in frustration, turning the paper he was looking at toward Virgil. Logan sat back in his chair, allowing the two to resolve the conflict on their own.

“What step were we on?” Roman asks knowingly, sure that Virgil had no idea what food he was even trying to explain. Virgil furrowed his brow but then proceeded to reach out and point to the correct instruction. Roman assumed this was a lucky guess. “And what did I say about the cheese?” He raised his brows expectantly, waiting for Virgil’s response.

“You can’t mix it in too quickly or it won’t set up right.” Virgil spoke in one breath, like he was pushing the words out. Roman sat back in his chair, beginning to feel guilty for assuming his boyfriend wasn’t listening. Perhaps something was bothering him. What could be wrong though? Was Roman not explaining things properly? Virgil still wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“What’s wrong, dearest?” Roman asked, his tone melting from calculated into soft concern. Virgil’s eyes flitted up momentarily before dropping back to his lap.

“Nothing,” he mumbled, sliding the recipe across the table back to Roman. Roman sighed and reached out, grabbing his hand gently enough that he could pull away if he so chose. He allowed his hand to remain, so Roman squeezed it lightly.

“Virgil, I want to understand what’s wrong.” Roman sighed, pushing the recipes into a stack with his free hand. Virgil sighed, allowing a long silence to draw on before he replied.

“I just don’t want to mess these up. I am so bad at cooking, and I don’t want to make them wrong and disappoint our guests.. Or you, I guess.” Virgil sighed, moving his free hand back to the corner of his placemat. Roman took a moment to consider this.

The past few weeks, Roman had seen the difference in Baking Virgil compared to Cooking Virgil. When Virgil was preparing a dessert, he was free. He seldom used measuring cups with any serious intent. He often was found with a teaspoon between his lips, tasting his concoction to ensure it came out perfectly. When Virgil was tasked with preparing a meal, he became a whole new person. He regarded the recipe with the utmost severity. He was meticulous in each measurement and rarely placed a toe out of line.

One date night, Roman decided Logan and Virgil could help him prepare a simple meal for them to eat before they left the house. Logan seemed to enjoy himself, moving around the kitchen with relative ease and confidently followed the recipe. Virgil was a different story. He was constantly asking Roman questions, triple checking he had the right amount of seasoning or correct pan. In the end, the dish came out perfectly. The relief of Virgil’s face had been clear as day, but not necessarily proud. He looked like he was coming down off of a panic attack, not tasting something he had worked hard on. Roman’s heart broke for the man. He wasn’t sure what shook his confidence so badly in the kitchen, but he was desperate to help.

“Virgil, I have hand-picked these recipes for you because I feel they are something that you could prepare with relative ease, along with your baked goods each morning. I am confident in your abilities. I know you believe cooking and baking have little in common, but they are very much alike! You could never disappoint me, it is a learning experience. You aren’t born knowing how to cook.” Roman squeezed Virgil’s hand once more before letting it fall back to the table. Virgil nodded, but he only looked more conflicted.

“It’s just that.. Well, my father was Fred Simone. And he never really said that. He never made it clear that I shouldn’t already know these things. He started bringing me into the kitchen when I was around ten. Any time I asked a question, he always said that ‘Cooking is in the Simone bloodline. All of the knowledge is already up here’ then he’d tap my head like some kind of weird ass guru from a slightly offensive movie. He would get really upset when I didn’t know the difference between a simmer and a boil, or how much seasoning I was meant to add. I just.. I don’t want to let him down again.” Virgil spoke quickly, rushing through the fact that his father was a _world-class chef_ , known for his amazing cooking skills and terrible social skills. Roman was taken aback. Virgil was twenty-six, so he must have been around.. Twelve, when his father passed away?

It was a tragic death within the cooking community alone, if he remembered correctly. He had been concealing his alcoholism to the best of his ability, but his liver eventually shut down and many organs followed. Roman’s grandma had gone into mourning for a week when she heard the news. Roman could only imagine how Virgil had handled the situation. The man obviously held his father in high regards, despite his cold, spiteful nature.

“Virgil, it isn’t your fault that you were never taught the basics of cooking. If memory serves me right, your grandfather trained your father for years before allowing him to cook in his restaurant. It was unfair of him to assume you could handle things with ease that he was likely taught.” Logan finally chimed in. He had been observing the discussion, likely to see how the two would handle the tension. Now that it had broken, he seemed comfortable joining in their discussion.

“Well, no, but he was sort of right. I’m just not good at it.” Virgil sighed, looking over at Logan with furrowed brows. Roman shook his head, frustrated with Virgil’s lack of confidence.

“Virge, you aren’t bad in the kitchen. I’m sure if you trusted yourself and just did what you can, things would turn out all right.” Roman explained, patting Virgil’s hand softly. Virgil looked up to search Roman’s eyes for a trace of dishonesty. Roman didn’t have to try to hide it, because there was none in that statement.

Virgil, seeming satisfied with what he found, stood from the table. “That’s enough of this. Let’s go back to the apartment and order pizza.” Virgil smiled, obviously trying to skip over the conversation for the time being. Roman contemplated insisting further, but decided to let it go. He could just help Virgil learn another time. The trio grabbed their coats and made their way to the door, doing one final check up before heading outside.

Late fall was upon them, made obvious by the leaves underfoot and the crisp chill in the air. Their breaths swirled together in a mist as they hurried down the street towards their block. Roman was still hesitant to call Logan and Virgil’s apartment _home_. He still didn’t feel entirely settled there, but he didn’t like being at his own apartment either. When they finally reached the complex, Virgil seemed hesitant to go inside.

“I think I want to take a little walk.” Virgil declared, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets. Logan shook his head and smiled fondly.

“I don’t think I will be joining you, I’d much prefer to go upstairs and curl up with a warm drink and a book.” He stepped forwards to grasp the back of Virgil’s neck and kiss his forehead. Virgil closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Logan’s waist, resting his head against his chest. They stood in their embrace momentarily while Roman watched with a fond expression. Finally, they seperated and Logan stepped away. Roman took this moment to assess the situation. If he were totally honest, he didn’t like the idea of Virgil walking alone at this time. It was nearing dusk and Roman had found the neighborhood to be slightly rougher than he first noticed.

“Mind if I join you, my Chemically Imbalanced Romance?” He asked, placing his hands behind his back and standing up straight. Virgil grinned, allowing a dimple to show on his pale cheek.

“It would be my pleasure, Ro.” Fondness seeped into his voice when he spoke. Roman nearly melted from his tone. Roman held out a hand for him to take, and Virgil grasped it tightly. They quickly began wandering down the street. Their noses were already red and their lips slightly chapped from the chill, but they hardly felt it. They were far more concerned with the way their fingers were laced and their hearts were beating rapidly.

“Virge your hands are freezing!” Roman said when they reached a stop light. He grabbed Virgil’s other hand and held both between his. He raised them to his lips and huffed warm air onto them in an attempt to warm them quicker. Roman was barely looking at Virgil, but once he was satisfied with his work, he finally took the time to glance up. Virgil was smiling down at him with the softest smile.

“Can I kiss you, Princy?” Virgil asked quietly, smirking at the dumbfounded look on his boyfriends face. Roman could feel his mouth hanging open, but couldn’t quite convince his jaw to move. Virgil laughed, waiting patiently. Finally, Roman let his mouth move.

“Are you sure Virgil?I would absolutely love that, as I’m sure you know, but this is important to both of us and I only want to if you’re really ready I mean-” Warm lips were pressing against Roman’s insistently. Roman absolutely melted into Virgil. He brought his hands up to rest on Virgil’s chest while Virgil’s sought his waist. The kiss stayed relatively chaste, lasting only a few seconds before they broke apart. Virgil allowed his eyes to stay closed and his forehead to rest against Roman’s.

“You talk too much.” Virgil laughed, allowing his lips to brush Roman’s as he spoke. Roman was intoxicated from this boy. He pecked Virgil’s lips once more before moving away. Roman grabbed Virgil’s hand again and guided him across the street when the light changed in their favor. Conversation seemed to float between them easily as they walked and talked. They made a large lap through their neighborhood, finally reaching home as the last rays of light disappeared behind the trees. Night settled around them softly, the street lights glowing warm and the crickets singing softly in the background. They stopped on the stoop of the apartment complex, looking out into the night.

“Hey V, guess what.” Roman giggled, his arm wrapped tightly around Virgil’s waist. Virgil looked down to him with a brow raised, smiling from the last anecdote shared. “Halloween is in 28 days.”Virgil laughed heartily, hugging his boyfriend into his chest tightly. He leaned down to press a soft kiss to Roman’s nose, then follow it with a kiss to his lips.

“Don’t act like I don’t have a countdown app.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience! I don't think I will be promising a posting schedule anymore, life is just too hectic atm. Thanks for understanding, tbh this might actually help me upload faster.


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